11:41 and my own running ambrosia

I should feel like a loser posting here that I didn't do my 8 miles on Saturday like I said I would.  I could wallow in self-loathing behavior but I didn't.  Today is a new day and I'm jumping right back in.  I was scheduled to run 4 miles today but my slacker behavior set in a little and time crunched as I was/am, I was seriously considering just forgetting today's run and running tomorrow.  I didn't though! This is the part that I wish my theme music for the day was playing while you read this post..."Gumption" from the movie The Holiday.  Love that little tune!

image found here

Moving along.....I did my two miles and ran a comfortable pace.  Low and behold my two miles looked like this:
Mile 1 - 11:16
Mile 2 - 12:06
Avg Pace - 11:41
Calories - 341

I was so worried that I lost all that I had gained due to my lack of consistency in the running deptartment.  I come back even stronger!  That and for motivation I wore my Seattle RNR shirt.  That really makes me feel too cool for school!  I am so jazzed!!!  Add that to a 0.9 loss this week and you've got a pretty happy little lady. 

I don't know if this is a shameless plug for Cytomax or not but today instead of Nuun I had poured in a Cytomax packet I had stashed in swag bag from Seattle RNR.  Hello!?!  Delish.  Could've been due to the fact that it made me feel like a runner becasue that's what they had for refreshments along the course in Seattle or maybe because it was pretty darn hot and I felt super parched by the end of the run.  Either which way, I love it's lemony flavor and I just might have to look into purchasing some more.  DELISH! I tell ya!!

So now it's time for some stretching and then off to my last 12 hour night shift for the week.  Tomorrow is a 7 miler and maybe a spin class. 

Success is hanging on when you want to let go

So true

I found this pic over at Fit This, Girl! In her post she remind us that "EVERYONE is busy and it's not an excuse." I have been queen of the slackers lately. My plethora of excuses for  slacking include but are not limited to: brother visiting, the ladies birthdays this month (CAKEand ICE CREAM!!!), my dad visiting (a whole bunch of emotional baggage unearthed with that visit), time of the month, and my virgo tendencies (if it's not done perfect I might as well give up).

But that's just what all these are....EXCUSES!!!!  I need to get off my but and get out there. No if's, and's or but's.  The alternative is to continue my wicked ways of no working out and eating craptastically.  NO WAY!  I'm already feeling the ill effects of my over-indulgence.  Today T and I took our "before" progress pics and did our measurments.  I haven't weighed in a while....up 6 pounds since the half marathon.   It's time to check back into reality and lay out my plan.  I have a rough idea of how things are going to look around here at Awaken the Strength until 10/10/10 and will post my plan tomorrow. 

Until then, here's my "in-your-face" (pardon the pun!) reminder of  how far I've come and what 50 pounds looks like.

2008

Current...dorky scrub top,sorry!

So, to end this post on a super positive note....33 readers?!?  I feel pretty honored that you all stop by and check out that latest and greatest developments over here at Awaken the Strength.  I hope to keep you all enthralled as I tackle Portland.  Tomorrow is an 8 mile and I've got a pretty good route planned!

Races and Late Night Running

Had a great run with my sissy tonight.  Being that I live in Alaska where it does stay a little bit lighter during the summer, T and I took off around 10p for a nice 3 miler.  Legs felt great, in fact it was me feeling out of breath for some weird reason and side stiches that slowed me down.  I've beent trying to pay attention to my upper body.  I notice I have a tendency to really tense up.  After my last long run I was pretty sore on my shoulders.  Does this happen to others?  I think I'll have to research this one...

On that note, I'll add some pics from my half ;o)

I'm smiling because I am signing up for next years full rock n roll marathon and I haven't even ran the race for this year yet.  Crazy I tell ya!!

Picking up my swag

I tried super hard not to geek out in front of The Running Twins.  LOVE THEM!!

My Chip

My absolutely awesome brother-in-law who woke at the butt-crack of dawn to get me and sissy to the race. Thank you!!!

Me and my Sissy waiting for the honeybucket

Doesn't everyone run with their own personal paparazzi?!? Thanks T!

I am showing my girls a healthy mommy, a running mommy!

Hello My Precious!

I am still debating on whether to fork over the cash for the marathon pics but HOLY EXPENSIVE BATMAN!!  I kinda do want one of me crossing the finish line.  Undecided still....

Now you see me...

                                                               Marathon Mania!

I've been MIA for so long, I don't even know where to start or what I want this post to be!  I haven't stopped running, no sir!  I'm still at it.  I was in a wierd mental place 3 weeks prior to Seattle RNR.  I knew my training had turned into a big pile of poop and I was mentally no where near being able to run a full.  It took a lot for me to call my sissy and tell her I was dropping to the half.  She too agreed and then and there we decided to make Portland our full.  A weight had been lifted from my shoulders when I begged her asked her if we could drop to the half.  I figured, I needed to get my feet wet and see what this racing stuff was all about in a non-intimidating manner.  I did and let me tell you, I turned into Mr. Toad when he saw his first motor car. All my anxieties left me as soon as we crossed the start line.  All those negative thoughts left me.  And believe me, those negative thoughts were plenty!

• You haven't trained properly! You hardly ran the last two weeks.
• You're too slow, you'll be the last
• You're a fraud, you're not a real runner and all of these elite athletes will be able to tell you don't belong here
• OMG you look chubby today
• I CAN'T DO THIS!

Well, like I said, it all left me. I started smiling, I crossed that line and I felt like I was a runner.  There were people there who where running at my pace!  There were people of all shapes, sizes and ages. I know it's going to sound wierd but the first 7 miles were the easiest I've ever ran in my life (easy does not equal fast! Yup, still slow!)  I just felft giddy to be there with this large group of people running through my favorite city in the world.

So here's some pictures of my race day. 

From my girls

More pics to follow....dinner calls and the ladies are cranky

My New Running Partner

Me and the little lady out for a late evening run

Rosy cheeks and two whooped gals!

What a blast!  I was definitely a lot slower than her but we giggled a lot and had a great time together.  We were planning how I would run my marathon and just talked. It was nice to run like a kid.  She helped me put the fun back into it!  I could totally see our future together as runners. 

I am a running mom and a runners mom.

I thought a bear was going to eat me!

The night shift caper has struck again!  I was super-duper tuckered today and felt like I couldn't keep my eyes open at all.  After I dropped the ladies off at school, I took a quick nap and then headed to my PT appointment about my left leg.  Long story short, I had strained my hip flexor causing my pirformis to spaz and then IT band tightness.  Left leg was a little weaker than the right. I was told everything I already knew but just needed a professional to scold me for.  Stretch, take it a bit easier for a few weeks, ice and CROSS TRAIN!  I capitalized that because I have not been cross-training at all.  He gave me some hip strengthening and stretching ideas and encouraged core work.  But best of all he said kudos for comming in early (before it got worse) and I didn't have to stop running.  YEAH!!!  Information duly noted and tonight went out for a light 4 mile run.

Like I said, tonight.  Not the best idea considering the bears are comming out right about now!  I really figured about half way through when the light was really going down, I'd run into this bad mamma-jamma

I didn't. But boy I sure thought I would!  Instead a mighty baby porcupine crossed my path 2 times and scared the bajeezus out of me!  Needless to say, outdoor running will be taking place durring the day from now on.

Ending on a happy note.  I finally went to the doctor the other day for my annual exam.  I have been a little forgetful and haven't had an annual in about 2 or 3 years. I know, pretty bad.  Well, I have been pretty curious about my cholesterol.  A few years back, I rememeber it being not so stellar.  I think it was 207 and then the next year it was 211.  All of my other numbers and ratios were great except that darn number.  Well, on my visit last week I had a fasting cholesterol panel and it came back 178!!! Wahoo! 

And I realized it's time for a new sports bra...my doc was doing my breast exam and asked (confused) if I had had a breast biopsy.  I looked down and realized all the chaffing had made it look like scars on the underside of my girls.  Not good.  I think it's time to make a purchase over at Kalyx 

Have a great night and happy running!

What a Week!

                My daughter at her first 5k - Girls on the Run

Wild face paint and a wonderful sense of acomplishment on her part.  I am so proud of her!

Just an old pic I found of my youngest daughter at her first race in 2009.  It was sponsered by Girls on the Run.  All I can say is, what a wonderful program!  They gave all the girls race bibs with the number 1 on it because all of them were #1!  She now runs 2x's weekly in a school sponsered running club.  I love that she loves running!  I can't wait to run with her although her mad skills might just blow me away...she's pretty fast.

Well, back to the week at hand.  Over all it was pretty darn good.  I ran my longest distance to date...10 MILES!  It took me a little over two hours.  A lot of walking due to what I have already diagnosed myself with as IT Band issues to my left leg....PT appt Tuesday.  Overall that run was great.  I was really feeling great!  Add that to a great run last Monday....2 great runs in one week?!?  What gives?  My overall mileage for the week was 23 miles.  It all feels like it's falling into place for me.  I had a break through about running outside "in public"  I ain't gonna lie, I'm a bigger girl (workin' on whittlin' it away) and I still have a lot of jiggly parts and the somewhat tighter running clothes don't make the best of what I got.  I don't want to run on roads becase I think people might me poking fun or make comments about my bulk and the sad vision I give off as I run or that I just might look rediculous in front of other runners.  Well I ran on a well trafficed road to get to one of my running trails. I started thinking, I'm doing it.  I'm training for a marathon for cryin' out loud!  What others may be thinking is they wish they could be a runner or could have the guts to start running.  This is me...a marathoner.  Yeah baby!  I'm finally owning my strength.  And to add a delicious whipped topping to all of this, I lost 2.1 pounds this week.  My vacation didn't defeat me.  I didn't balloon out and I didn't quit running...although there were some negative/down times and I almost felt like quiting.  And I can keep up run with my sis!  Great week. Here's to another!

Outa Towner

Birch Lake ~ Babbitt, MN

Dusky view of Seattle

Alkai Beach, Seattle WA

Pike's Market

Holy-no-post-in-a-long-time-Batman!  Where the heck have I been?  As you can tell from the pics, I was out of town.  I had to head to MN to check on my Gram and Aunt.  Health issues and all.  I was in MN for about 12 days and had much pre-trip anxiety especially about my running and eating.  Whould I be able to maintain my running and eating clean?  Let's just say the first week was pretty bad.  I had already jinxed myself when due to time constraints and what-not, I missed my long run the weekend before I had left on Tuesday.  That put me in a foul mood and sort of layed the foundation for my crappy attitude aftewards.  I had planned on getting that long run in on Tuesday in Seattle with my sis but was so sleep deprived I passed out on the couch as my nephew was trying to show me his new games.  I think he even tried to shake me a couple times to wake.  Must've been pretty tired!

The first week was pretty rough.  After the first burger and fries, it gets a little foggy from there!  I was so "prepared" to continue my healthy ways I had even packed my blender and protein powder.  Somehow I just abandoned ship.  I had one run that week and it was HORRIBLE!!  It had been about a week since I had last run and I headed out on a dirt road in the country and figured I'd go for it.  It was just 3 miles but the longest, most painful run of my life.  My breathing was all wrong, I walked most of it and truly hated myself for slacking and letting it get to this point.  After that run I had really strong thoughts of just abandoning the whole marathon training and running thing.  What was the point.  Needless to say, I didn't run again for another week. 

 I'm not sure when my crappy thinking went out the window.  All I know is, less than a week later I was mentally back in the game.  I ate what I wanted but tried not to over do it.  I didn't hop on a scale once while I was gone and just went by how my clothes were fitting.  I had gotten a few green monster's in so I felt a bit more normal at times.  I started my run week again and let's just say it kept getting better and better.  Each run was more awesome than the next.  Time wise, it wasn't the best I had done but on my last 3 mile run before I had left, I ran the whole thing and didn't stop once!  HELLO!!  I felt like a million bucks that day.  I also tried to appreciate and just ENJOY my runs.  I had new scenery and sunny days.  That's not to say that my 8 mile run was all roses. Ended up walking a lot more than I had wanted to but really tried to enjoy it for what it was.  Even though it was a crap-tastic run, I still felt the same sense of accomplishment at the end.  I JUST RAN (ran/walked) 8 MILES!!  Who me?!? Yeah me!

So once I got over all that, I was on my way to Seattle.  Insert major anxiety here!  I was going to be running for the first time with my marathon running partner...my sis.  Was I going to be fast enough?  Were we going to be in sync with one another?  Was she going to laugh at how terrible I am at this running thing?

First run we had to go super slow.  It was on Alkai Beach in Washington.  See picture above.  My 4 year old nephew was with and was riding his little bike.  Let's just say, there were a lot of starts and stops and it was a V-E-R-Y slow 3 miles for the both of us.  I think we both came to the conslusion that "running" that slow was almost harder on the body than pounding it out, balls to the wall. 

That run over, our next was a 5 miler.  Can we say HILLS?!?  I now know the pain and suffering my sis goes through.  Yowzah!  Any who, we started out and I swear, this run was so awesome for me.  My time was better than it had ever been before.  My breathing was in sync.  As we ran together, I felt the running twins from runningskirts.com!  I have the BEST running partner EVER!  I had had so much anxiety about running with her being that she had a few half marathons and some races under her belt.  Being with her really pushed me to do better and to go faster.  The next run was just as good.  Still visions of me and her as the running twins. 

Fast forward.  I'm home.  I had to readjust my training due to a few missed runs and what not.  My first solo run since I got home was a 4 miler.  I started out not feeling it.  I missed my running buddy, it was raining, blah, blah, blah.  Got out there any ways and had the BEST RUN EVER!  I know I keep saying it but this really was a great run.  I was faster than I had ever been and felt like I could push myself.  The breathing was great and I fell like my pace was pretty consistent.  I check with Forrest (my garmin....as in Forrest Gump!) when I got home and he pretty much said the same thing.  I really felt like a runner this past week and I'm lovin' it!

So that's my life in a nutshell.  Hadn't been on the computer that much while I was gone.  Still trying to catch up in the world of blogs.  The excitement of Boston is contagious.  Way to go all who ran!  I did buy a few running accesories and some more fun stuff that I've seen in the blog world.  I felt like a little kid at Whole Foods!  Pics to come of all my running stuff and food stuffs!  And before I sign off, I'm going to gush about about how much I LOVE One More Mile and their shirts and their customer service!  Love, love, love it! 

99 days?!?

Mendenhall Glacier

Just thought I'd throw in some eye candy on today's blog! I live pretty close to a glacier and just went out there for a walk with my baby sis and our kids.  Good times!

Well, I pulled up my blog and I noticed 99 days left on the count down!  99 days?!?  Which leads me to my run last night.  I felt an overwhelming surge of accomplishment over the fact that I even went and did it.  I was sure trying to talk myself out of it with excuses galor.....too tired, it's too late, I'll make it up on the rest of the days, I ate a small piece of dessert too close to running and I may get an upset stomach....it went on and on.  I sounded like Sybil in my head!   I finally went at 8:45.  I once again was crazy with my pace and wasn't consistent and then had to walk a lot.  I had some crazy left shin/calf pain and after thr run some cramping.  All this said, I didn't let it get to me.  I kept on repeating my goal which is to finish the marathon.  If I have to walk or even crawl some of it I WILL be finishing 26.2 miles.  So I decided that even if I didin't run the whole 4 miles, I was still getting in the mileage.  I  walked  hobbled away from that run feeling pretty darn good about myself.  And hello?!?!?  What a marvel icing is!  My left leg wasn't liking me too much and my calves were not pleased with me either.  I've always figured I wasn't a candidate for icing until I ran over 8 miles at the very least.  The icing felt fabulous along with the stretches and wouldn't you know, I didn't wake up as sore as I thought I'd be, especially in that left calf. 

Today is a three mile scheduled and my goal for today is to run at a consistent pace and not be so sprint-happy.  Slow and steady, right?  I'd like to stay at 5.0 - 5.2 on tonight's run.  I'll check back in later and let you know how it went.  I'm feeling pretty sassy about tonight's run.  Not only did I go on an online shopping spree, I stopped at the local outdoor enthusiast store and bought a foam roller and then I bought a light blue moisture wicking short sleeve shirt.  Can't wait to try it on tonights run.

slacking, shopping, running.....in that order!

So after my most awesome run last Monday, my little sis comes into town with her baby for 5 days.  Alls I can say is that I really had the best intentions.  Long story short, no running, excellent eating habits hit the deck and my sleep was all messed up.  Enjoyed the visit but hated the underlying guilt I was making myself feel.  I worried about not running for a week and how it would affect my training.

That was my slacking....

A lot of doubts plagued me yesterday when I went for my run on the treadmill.  I was poking around at home when I knew I had a limited amount of time before work.  I had to call my sissy for moral support and as she called me back I had realized I didn't have my heart rate monitor on me.  After some tough love sissy-style and some self talk of..."who cares if you don't have your gadgets...you've got your legs, right?!?" I hopped on that treadmill and ran my little heart out.  I may have walked for a minute here and there and my pace was very erratic, I was two minutes slower than my last run, but darn it if I didn't still feel like a runner.  That feeling was there again of giddy accomplishment.  Folks, it has happened I think.  I now think of myself as a runner!

On that positive note, this self professed runner decided to go shopping.  Here's the loot!

An awesome long sleeve running shirt from REI

26.2 Miles....What Could Possibly Go Wrong?!?

Now I'm staring at some bondi bands....hmmm...